Amazing Slow Downer by Roni Music was one of the first software programs available to slow down music. Like most programs available, Amazing Slow Downer (ASD) can speed up or slow down the tempo without changing the pitch.
Tempo or speed change settings range from 20% to 150 %. Pitch change settings are done in increments of a semitone and range 12 semitones or one octave in each direction. ASD also has a built in equalizer and a loop editor. A screen capture appears below.
Amazing Slow Downer (ASD) has excellent sound quality with pitch and tempo change... that is its strong point. However, the main user interface is somewhat confusing. It has no wav form editing capabilities and no ability to insert multiple loop areas. Also, it does not detect, key, tempo or chords, all features found in both versions of Song Surgeon
The new release of Song Surgeon, Version 5.0, contains dramatic changes and improvements from earlier versions. The table which follows highlights the differences between Song Surgeon Version 5, Standard and Pro vs. Amazing Slow Downer.
Song Surgeon vs. Amazing Slow
Downer Comparison Table
| Feature | Amazing Slow Downer |
SS Standard | SS PRO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Detection |  |
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| Tempo Detection | |
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| Chord Detection | |
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| Basic Editing/Recording | |
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| Formant Preservation | |
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| Automatic Click Track Creation | |
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| Sophisticated Scoring Function | |
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| Audio Quality | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Most Recently opened file list | |
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| Demo Model Available | |
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| Repeat play button | |
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| EQ Sliders | |
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| Export Files (Save changes permanently) | |
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| Pan buttons | |
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| Stereo & Mono, 8, 16, 24, and 32 bit files | Unknown | |
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| Wav Form File Display | |
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| Fixed and Floating Progress Needle | |
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| Use of Project Files | |
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| Mulitple Sound Algorithms | |
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| Resizing of User Interface | |
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| Undo Redo Button | |
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| Information Markers | |
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| Multiple Presets for Tempo/Pitch | |
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| Ripping Multiple CD tracks | |
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| Export Loop Data | |
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| Vocal Reduction | |
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| Export Multiple Loop Data | |
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| Set Multiple Loops | |
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| Insertion of multiple loop points | |
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| Editing of waveform | |
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| Editing (Insert Silence) | |
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| Editing (Delete an area) | |
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| Editing (Copy and paste) | |
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| Editing (copy/paste between instances) | |
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| Editing (increase/decrease volume) | |
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| Performance Algorithm | |
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| Ability to Sustain a Note | |
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| Foot pedal Support | |
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| Music Pad/Transcription Area | |
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| Product Support | unknown | One Year | Two Years |
| Product Refund | unknown | 60 Days | 60 Days |
| Product Usage | unknown | 3 machines | 3 machines |
The PRO version of Song Surgeon (SS) contains some unique features not found in any similar software.
Multiple Algorithms - SS contains multiple time stretching algorithms to accomplish pitch and tempo change. This maximizes sound quality and provides distortion-free audio even at extreme changes.
Multiple Loop Areas - SS enables you to set an unlimited number of loop areas, not just one, which is the standard. Moreover, each loop area can have its own unique settings.
Wav form editing - SS has a number of useful wav form editing features. This enables users to cut and paste wav form data within an instance or between instances, thereby creating customized audio files for practice or performance.
Key, Chord and Tempo Detection - Song Surgeon is the only audio slow downer that contains all three of these “Detection” features.
Export - SS enables you to Export changes you have made to a file, thereby making them permanent. This new audio file can be played back in any other player such as an iPod, phone or MP3 player and the changes made in SS will reside in the new file.
MuseScore Compatibility - Song Surgeon is built to be able to have MuseScore run within it, thus allowing you access to a high quality scoring program while allowing Song Surgeon to save the MS project within the SS project file.
While the slow-down technology remains the most commonly used feature found in these types of programs, and musicians remain the most common users, the new version of Song Surgeon with its many new functionalities will certainly open the door to use in many other fields such as dance, exercise classes, transcription, karaoke, translation, and worship music to name a few.
Song Surgeon provides a 4-hour fully functional working demo. This is 4 hours or run time and is not calendar limited in any way. You can use your time in one day, or spread it over weeks, months and years. Four hours is sufficient time to enable you to open, change about 50 files. However, we caution you to close the program when not using it to preserve this time. We also suggest that you watch the training videos found on the website before using the program, as these will help you get up to speed quickly with the operations of this very useful software. You can download the DEMO version from here.